Incorporeal Witness

Chapter 2

The next morning, Alex woke with a need for a hike. She wondered if Logan would go with her. Devina had told her that Logan used to hike all the time, but when she took over running more of Winter House, she'd stopped. Maybe Logan could show her the best spot for a good, long hike. She got up and jumped in the shower, then got dressed in a comfortable pair of shorts, a t-shirt, and her hiking boots. She grabbed her water bottle and made her way downstairs. Harley was still at the breakfast table, talking with Logan. She wanted to turn back around and let them have this time before the other guests woke up. But Harley spotted her. 

"Hey, are you going for a hike today?" She spooned a mouthful of cereal into her mouth. "You look like you're going on a hike. Can I go?" She looked up at her mom with a hopeful grin. 

"You know you have school. Maybe you two can go over the weekend if Alex wants to."

"Ah, okay mom. Can we?" She asked Alex. 

"Sure, if your mom says it's okay." She smiled up at Logan. "Morning, and thanks." She said as Logan set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. The toast already on the table. She smiled at Harley and tapped her wrist to hurry her along. Harley grinned at her mom but seemed to move a bit faster. She dug into her breakfast and grinned when Harley kissed stood and kissed her mom. 

"Thank you, it was great. I'll see you later okay, Alex."

"Bye kid." She laughed then turned to Logan. "Does she ever slow down?"

"Oh yes, when she has to do homework, she's as slow as a snail." Logan laughed. The sound surprising Alex. Logan sobered and looked at Alex. "What?"

"Nothing," Alex said quickly and looked down at her food. "I was going to ask you if you want to go with me, on the hike I mean?" She spoke quickly, realizing she's stared at Logan. 

"Uh, I have so much to do here." She said and looked around the eating kitchen. 

"Nonsense, you go. I can take care of breakfast since you already made everything." Devina stood in the doorway, a cup of coffee in her hand. "You need to get out a bit. You can take Alex to that one you like so much."

"It's a long hike mom, I don't think she wants to go on such a long one her first time."

"The longer the better, really," Alex said. "Fresh air and good company, is just what the doctor ordered."

"And your wound?"

"What?" Alex asked surprised, she unconsciously reached for her hip. 

"You have a wound on your hip, you favor it when you think no one is watching," Logan said and grinned at her. 

"You're hurt?" Devina asked. "Oh." She said and looked accusingly at Alex. "You have a gunshot wound. Let me see."

"No, it's fine. And how do you know?" Alex asked confused. 

"Olivia, of course." She walked over to Alex and waved Logan away who tried to get in her way. "Now let me see." She stood in front of Alex, who looked to Logan for help, but she just shrugged at her. 

"Let her look, or she won't leave you alone," Logan told her. 

"Fine." Alex grudgingly lifted her shirt and let Devina pull the big plaster away from the hole. She saw Logan flinch and turn away. Great, just what Logan needed, a reminder of how dangerous her job was. 

"It looks good, it's healing well." She gently put the plaster back and smiled at Alex. "Can I ask what happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it if that's okay." Her eyes flicked between Logan and Devina. 

"Alright, some other time. Now you go get ready Loggie, we'll keep Alex company while she waits for you." Logan looked like she wanted to argue then thought better and walked off. 

"We?" Alex asked. 

"Me and Olivia. She thinks you are sexy, even with a hole in you."

"Uh, I, okay, thanks, I guess." 

"So this is your secret trail?" Alex asked. She was fit and hiked every chance she got, but her calves were burning and her side was paining like a son of a b***h. 

"Nothing secret about it." Logan felt bad that she'd chosen this particular trail, she knew how hard it would be for a first-timer, but she'd been angry that her morning had been planned for her. "It's just the one with the best view at the end." 

"Okay, I'll take your word." They'd been hiking an hour, and she knew going down would be hard. She hoped that they'd at least take a few minutes at the end to rest before making their way down. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure." 

"Olivia, she's a joke right?" Logan let out a laugh, she stopped so Alex could catch up. 

"No, she's our oldest ancestor. And she comes with Winter House. Olivia Monterey, fought off all sorts of bad things to keep her home, and when she died, her spirit stayed with the one thing she loved more than anything. Her house." 

"Okay, but I mean a ghost. Really?"

"You don't have to be a believer to know things, Detective Burns." 

"I need physical evidence, something I can touch." 

"And you never trust your gut?" Logan asked as she started walking again. 

"Yes. But that's different." 

"Of course it is. Come on, we're almost there." They walked another fifteen minutes then Logan stopped. Alex took a deep breath and looked toward where Logan was staring. 

"Well, f**k, sorry," Alex said.

"No, that's about what I said the first time." The valley below them stretched for miles, trees painted the scenery green, a waterfall gushed water down a mountainside, while birds flew everywhere.

"There's so many." 

"Nobody knows where they come from, or how many there are." 

"It's spectacular." Alex sat down on the bench that faced the valley. Logan sat down next to her, a smile on her face. 

"Yes. I brought Harley here once, she kept talking about the waterfall and wondering if we could get there. But I've looked at every map I could find, it just seems impossible." She turned her head, looking at Alex. "Thank you." 

"For what?" Logan's smile did funny things to her stomach.

"For making me get out of the house, I needed this." She laid a hand on Alex's. "Harley is going to miss you when you leave at the end of next week."

"I'll miss her too. I think I might take more vacations, as long as I have a room waiting here." 

"You'll have one, Detective," Logan promised. 

"Good. Harley is a good kid." 

"The best." Logan agreed, pride obvious in her tone. 

"You're going to make me walk back now, aren't you?" 

"Yep, I thought you were fit, Detective." 

"I am, but apparently city fit is not country fit." Alex groaned when she stood. 

"Let me look at that," Logan said when she noticed Alex holding her side.

"No, it's fine, just a bit sore, let's go." She sighed when Logan merely put her hands on her hips and waited. "Just like your mother." She said with a laugh and pulled up her shirt. 

"You're bleeding." 

"What?" Alex looked down stunned. "It was fine earlier." 

"Vigorous walking would do this." She pulled her backpack off and pointed to the bench. "Sit." 

"It can wait until we get to Winter House." 

"Sit, please. I won't hurt you, I just want to change the dressing." 

"Fine," Alex said grudgingly.

"You're worse than Harley." Logan slowly cleaned the wound and carefully redressed it. "There, let's make our way down slowly, then I will give you something to help with the healing." 

"I have ointment and pills."

"Something natural, okay?" 

"Fine." Alex agreed. She'd take it and put it away, she didn't need strange things, she just needed her pain meds now. Alex felt Logan watch her all the way down but ignored her. She wasn't weak damn it, she'd make the bloody hike down.